Jonas Smucker Hartzler

“ By the leave of absence plan the nonresistant young men were allowed to remain at home, and thus were among Canada's best producers instead of being consumers only and accomplishing no im mediate good as so many were forced to be in camps and guard-houses because they could take no part in the war. Canada finally solve_d the religious objector question better than most other countries engaged in the war. ”

“ Most of the persecutions arising from misunderstandings with officials may be traced to the fact that some men magnified their authority, took matters into their own hands, thus proving themselves untrue to the government they represented. ”

“ It is commonly thought by people outside of Canada that the law of 1868 was passed in order to get the Russian Mennonites to move to Canada, but it existed several years be fore the Canadian Government knew of the unrest among the Mennonites in Russia. ”

“ The Men nonites in the East were in perfect agreement with their Russian brethren on this point, and realizing that those in the West had complete exemption, those in the East appealed to the government at Ot tawa for complete exemption from any service in furthering the war. ”

“ Note that the committee had two purposes in meeting the officials: First, to discuss the question of the Relief fund ; Second, to try to get total ex emption from military service. Just six weeks after this interview with the members of Parliament the secretary of the organization ent out the following information to the churches: "The Ontario Regis trar at Toronto, Mr. C. L. Wilson, has received instruction from the Military Service Council, that Mennonites are outside of the Act and are exempt. Some have already reported that they are Menno nites and have received exemptions." ”